Keke Palmer and her mother, Sharon Palmer, recalled Keke’s work as a child star on Nickelodeon shows. Sharon called the atmosphere on the network’s sets “very strange” and “very cult-like” at a time when Dan Schneider had multiple hit shows.
The 30-year-old Emmy-winning actress opens up about her Honey, this is Keke Palmer’s podcast Tuesday brought up the difficult subject of the Investigation Discovery documentary series that aired earlier this year, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, and the allegations of misconduct made against Schneider, 58.
The Illinois-born artist told her mother on the podcast: “Honestly, I remember you having a lot to say about Dan Schneider’s sets… I remember you had a thing for Nickelodeon… I want to hear what you have to say.”
Keke had appeared in 56 episodes in the eponymous role of the Nickelodeon show True Jackson, VP from 2008 to 2011. (Schneider was not involved in the series.)
Sharon said she felt uncomfortable with the general atmosphere and behavior of the other parents in the Nickelodeon orbit.
Keke Palmer, 30, and her mother Sharon Palmer recalled Keke’s work as a child star on Nickelodeon shows hosted by Dan Schneider, with Sharon calling the atmosphere “very strange” and “very cult-like.”
The Emmy-winning actress tackled the difficult topic of her Investigation Discovery docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, on her podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer on Tuesday.
“My honest opinion is that I thought the whole atmosphere on Dan Schneider’s set was very strange, very cult-like,” Sharon said.
Sharon said “the parents were very secretive” and that she “thought everyone took themselves too seriously” and were obsessed with their children’s careers at the network.
Sharon said: ‘The whole conversation was, ‘Oh my God! What’s next? Did you hear they’re cancelling this show? What’s next?’
Sharon said the atmosphere was “always so frantic about what was being cancelled” while she saw “Nickelodeon as just a stopping station.”
“You didn’t start out at Nickelodeon or Disney. You were lucky enough to work in both adult and children’s situations.”
She continued: ‘My mindset about the entertainment business wasn’t that Disney Channel or Nickelodeon was the coolest thing, but a lot of parents did.’
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV featured a series of interviews with people who previously worked on Schneider’s shows, including The Amanda Show, All That and Drake & Josh.
Former child actor Drake Bell made headlines in the special by saying he was sexually abused as a minor by acting coach Brian Peck, who later pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual acts with a minor.
Keke had appeared in 56 episodes in the eponymous role of the Nickelodeon show True Jackson, VP from 2008 to 2011.
The Illinois-born artist told her mother on the podcast: “Honestly, I remember you having a lot to say about Dan Schneider’s sets… I remember you had a thing for Nickelodeon.”
Keke’s mother Sharon said: “My honest opinion is that I thought the whole atmosphere on Dan Schneider’s set was very strange, very cult-like.”
Sharon said that “the parents were very reserved” and that she “thought everyone took themselves too seriously.”
Keke said she “definitely felt too controlled and confined and almost like I was in a prison at times” as a result of her mother being “protected.”
Sharon said: “When I saw Drake’s story, it broke my heart because I could see how his parents were trapped, I could see the manipulation that took place.”
Sharon said Peck had tried to distance Bell from his father, and that she was moved to tears when she saw the doctor learn about the situation.
Keke recalled her own past experiences with industry workers, such as agents and managers, trying to come between her and her mother.
“In my experiences with you in this industry, I’ve had times where people have tried to push us away from each other or come between us,” The Bosses star said.
The Nope actress said her mother “would never allow that kind of thing to happen,” which occasionally “created tension” between them.
“I definitely felt too controlled and confined, almost like I was in a prison at times,” Keke said. “But when I look back, I feel like I was really just being protected.”
Dan Schneider, who parted ways with Nickelodeon in 2018, filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery in May in Los Angeles, calling the docuseries a “hit piece of work” that portrayed him in a false light.
Schneider, who parted ways with Nickelodeon in 2018, filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery in May in Los Angeles, calling the documentary series a “hit work” that portrayed him in a false light.
“While it is undisputed that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows,” Schneider’s legal team said in legal documents, “it is also undisputed that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered, and, crucially, was not a child sexual abuser himself.”
Schneider’s lawyers continued: “But for the sake of clickbait, ratings and views — or put another way, money — defendants have destroyed Schneider’s reputation and legacy through false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Warner Bros. for comment on the story.